In Taiwan, there is a type of tea bag which transforms into the shape of a goldfish when put in hot water. You can see it in action in the video below.

Cute, right? OK, now that we're in a good mood from watching the video, let’s begin today’s lesson. In this lesson, we will learn two grammar patterns used together with verbs.

In the video, you can see that by pulling the string attached to the tea bag, you can make the "goldfish" swim back and forth. Let’s learn how to say this in Chinese.

Hover over any word to show translation

nǐ

你

你

you (informal)

dòng yí dòng

动一动

動一動

to move a bit

nà

那

那

that

gēn

根

根

classifier for long slender objects

lián

连

連

to link, to connect

zhe

着

著

aspect particle indicating action in progress

chá bāo

茶包

茶包

tea bag

de

的

的

(used after an attribute)

xiàn

线

線

thread, string

，

hái

还

還

in addition, also

kě yǐ

可以

可以

can, may

ràng

让

讓

to have sb do sth

“

jīn yú

金鱼

金魚

goldfish

”

zài

在

在

(located) at, (to be) in

chá

茶

茶

tea

lǐ

里

裡

inside

yóu

游

游

to swim

lái

来

來

to come

yóu

游

游

to swim

qù

去

去

to go

，

fēi cháng

非常

非常

extreme, very

hǎo wán

好玩

好玩

amusing, fun

。

By moving about the string attached to the tea bag, you can make the "goldfish" swim back and forth in an amusing way.

Character set

Pinyin

Verb + 一 + Verb

In the sentence above, “动一动[dòng yí dòng]” means “move a bit ”. It’s today’s first grammar pattern.
This pattern is used to express that something is done just a little bit or lightly. You must use the same verb on front and back of “一”。 For example:

听一听[tīng yì tīng] listen a bit

闻一闻[wén yì wén] smell a bit

想一想[xiǎng yì xiǎng] think a bit

看一看[kàn yí kàn] look a bit

Note the tone for “一”. When the following character is first, second or third tone, “一” is read yì, but when the verb is fourth tone, “一” becomes yí. This might seem complicated, but if you practice the sentence below it might get easier, because the sentence contains all the tone combinations.

Hover over any word to show translation

hěn

很

很

very

duō

多

多

many, often

shí hou

时候

時候

time

，

zhǐ

只

只

only, just

yào

要

要

must

wǒ men

我们

我們

we, us

děng

等

等

to wait

yì

一

一

one

děng

等

等

to wait

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

ān quán

安全

安全

safe, secure

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

；

ràng

让

讓

to yield, to permit

yí

一

一

one

ràng

让

讓

to yield, to permit

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

guò qu

过去

過去

to go over, to pass by

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

；

kàn

看

看

to see, to look at

yí

一

一

one

kàn

看

看

to see, to look at

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

míng bai

明白

明白

clear, obvious

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

；

tīng

听

聽

to listen, to hear

yì

一

一

one

tīng

听

聽

to listen, to hear

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

zhī dào

知道

知道

to know, to become aware of

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

；

wén

闻

聞

to smell, to sniff at

yì

一

一

one

wén

闻

聞

to smell, to sniff at

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

qīng chu

清楚

清楚

clear, distinct

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

；

xiǎng

想

想

to think

yì

一

一

one

xiǎng

想

想

to think

，

jiù

就

就

just (emphasis)

wù chū

悟出

悟出

to realize, to be enlightened

le

了

了

(completed action marker)

。

Often times, we just need to wait a little, and it will be safe. Compromise a bit, and we can proceed. Look a bit, and it will become clear. Smell a bit, and we will know. Ask a little, and it will become clear. Think for a while, and we will realize.

Character set

Pinyin

Got it? Not too difficult, right?

Verb + 来[lái] + Verb + 去[qù]

Now let's have a look at another grammar pattern which repeats the same verb twice, also present in the first sentence above. Can you find it? It is “游来游去[yóu lái yóu qù]”(swim back and forth).

This structure can be used when you want to say that you are doing something without a clear direction. It is similar to the English expressions "this way and that", "here and there", etc. The same verb is repeated before both 来[lái] and 去 [qù]. For example:

跑来跑去[pǎo lái pǎo qù] run here and there

走来走去[zǒu lái zǒu qù] walk here and there

看来看去[kàn lái kàn qù] look here and there

想来想去[xiǎng lái xiǎng qù] think here and there

Let’s practice.

Hover over any word to show translation

xiǎo péng you

小朋友

小朋友

child

men

们

們

plural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals

zài

在

在

(located) at, (to be) in

gōng yuán

公园

公園

park

lǐ

里

裡

inside

pǎo

跑

跑

to run

lái

来

來

to come

pǎo

跑

跑

to run

qù

去

去

to go

。

The children are in the park running here and there.

Character set

Pinyin

That's it for today’s lesson about verb grammar patterns. Did you find it useful?
See you next time!

This is the accompanying blog post for our elementary lesson "Goldfish Tea".You can read the entire lesson for free using Du Chinese, available for iPhone and Android.Click here for more information.